Improvement in water-wheels



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. OORBIN AND JOHN W. PUGH, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEM ENT IN WATER-WHEELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,719, dated July 31,1866.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE E. GORBIN and JOHN W. PUGH, of Grand Rapids,in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented a new andImproved Water-Wheel 5 and we do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable thoseskilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure l is a vertical section of our invention, taken in the line .r x,Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a horizontal section of the same, taken in the line y y,Fig. l; Fig. 3, a side sectional view of the Wheel detached or removedfrom the scroll.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.-

This invention relates to a new and improved water-wheel of that classwhich are placed on a vertical shaft and one inclosed within a case.

The invention consists in a peculiar shape and position of the bucketsof the wheel, together with a wing and chutes or guides for directingthe water properly to thebuckets, and in a novel application of the caseto the wheel, whereby several advantages are obtained over the ordinarywheels of'the same class in use, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

A represents a framing, which may be constructed in any proper manner tosupport the wheel and its concomitant parts. B is the shaft of thewheel, the lower end being stepped in a cross-tree, O, of the framing A,and the upper end working in a bearing, a, on the upper part of theframing. D is the wheel attached to the shaft B, and provided withbuckets b, which are of Vcurved form in a vertical direction, as shownclearly in Fig. 3. These buckets are not attached to the wheel in aradial position, but are tangential with a circle, c, concentric withthe shaft B of the wheel, and about four times greater in diameter thansaid shaft. The buckets are encompassed by a rim or band, d.

E represents a case of cylindrical form, and having a tube, F, ttedcentrally in it, through which the shaft B passes, as shown clearly inFig. Yl. This case is firmly secured in the framing A in any propermanner; and within said case, just above the wheel D, there are placed aseries of chutes, e, which correspond in shape and position with thebuckets b of the wheel, with the exception that the former have theirvertical curvature in an opposite direction to that of the latter. (SeeFig. 3.)

The chutes c are stationary, and directly above these chutes e there isan induction spout or iiume, G, which has a wing, H, extending from itsinner end to the tube F. (See Fig. 2.) This wing is designed to give aproper direction to the water in entering the case E.

The lower part of the wheel D, it will be seen, projects below the caseE, so as to admit of a free discharge of 'the water.

From the above description it `will be seen that the case E cannot inthe least interfere with the wheel-shaft B, as the latter passes throughthe tube F and is completely isolated from the case; and in the event ofthe stop of shaft B becoming Worn so that the Wheel will have a littlelateral play, the shaft B will not come in contact with any portion ofcase E.

By having the buckets of the wheel of the shape and arranged as shown inthe position relatively with the wheel, the water is made to act withits greatest eEective force against the outer parts of the buckets,where it will have the greatest power, and the water is further allowedto escape freely from the buckets after the force of impact has beenimparted to them. This action of the water is aided by the chutes c,which guide or direct the water properly to the buckets, and is alsoaided by the wing H,

which gives the water a proper direction in.

the case E above the chutes e.

The tube, F, it will be seen, only extends down to a level with thebottom of the chutes.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- The combination of the buckets l) and wheel D,cylinder F, with chutes c and tube F, all constructed as described, andwinged spout G, arranged and operating in the manner and for the purposeherein specified.

GEORGE E. OORBIN. JOHN W. PUGH.

Witnesses:

P. R. L. PErEcE, CHARLES F. GonFRoY.

